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Essential Oils, Facial Serums and Botanicals: Why the Trend?

When it comes to facial care, “oil” used to be a four-letter word. We associated it with grease and petroleum, shine and sweat. But the tide has turned. In 2013, facial oils, botanical serums and essential oils were among beauty care experts’ top picks for enhancing radiance—and the trend is here to stay. What changed? We “rediscovered” the truth.

And the truth is that oils aren’t the pore-clogging, acne-volcano machines everyone once thought they were. Instead, they can make all the difference in feeling confident about your skin.

Research chemist and natural skin care expert, Heather Beach, explains: “Oil does not equal breakouts. In fact, using oil on your skin can make your skin less oily. A routine of washing your face often and then replenishing the skin with a lotion over and over can strip your skin of essential moisture. When the skin has the oil it needs, it’s less likely to produce additional oil. An oil-based serum can moisturize your skin without upsetting its important moisture balance.”

How do you choose which oil is right for you? Here’s a look at our favorites:

Tamanu

Pressed from a Tamanu nut, Tamanu is packed with fatty acids and antioxidants to feed your skin healthy, hydrating nutrients without clogging pores. It’s main claim to fame? It rehydrates to reduce the appearance of wrinkles. While it can be applied directly to your skin, most people prefer to use a carrier oil system, such as the apricot kernel, sweet almond, and grapeseed oil blend in our Revitalizing Boost (which features tamanu). Says Heather, “The carrier system makes for a pleasant experience; fast absorbing and non-greasy, with a powdery feel.”

Jojoba

Also found in our Hydrating Boost, Jojoba helps to restore natural moisture balance, so if your primary skin care concern involves dryness, look no further. Using jojoba oil as a pre- or after-shave moisture solution is fast becoming a beauty must.

Zi Cao

An oil most often known for its use in Chinese herbal medicine, Zi Cao helps calm problem skin and balance an uneven skin tone to leave skin looking rested and refreshed. Zi Cao is one of several skin-calming ingredients founds in our Soothing Boost.

Argan

Argan oil is specifically lauded for its cosmetic properties—which is exactly the reason for all the buzz. It’s full of vitamins and antioxidants that can nourish and revitalize. It’s commonly used in hair treatments as well as skin serums, and is a staple for your medicine cabinet. As Heather points out, “Women who use oil on their skin often report drastically softer texture, less oily skin, and brighter, more radiant looking skin. Many women swear they will never go back to (face) lotion.”

And we’re OK with that idea. Natural skin serums can be a wonderful natural way to nourish and rejuvenate your skin.

Have you added oils or oil-based serums to your facial care routine? Let us know about your results.